Shane Grennan, Senior Director – Partner Sales and Business Development for the Middle East at Fortinet, plays a vital role in managing and scaling the company’s partner ecosystem across the region. He leads a team dedicated to empowering partners and distributors through Fortinet’s unique value proposition, supporting all market segments and high-growth areas such as SASE, managed services, public cloud, and OT security.
Fortinet operates on a two-tier partner model, placing strong emphasis on close collaboration with partners and distributors. The goal is to align Fortinet’s innovation and expertise with partners’ growth strategies, enabling them to maximise market opportunities and drive value-added outcomes for customers.
With extensive experience at major IT, networking, and cybersecurity vendors, Grennan brings a deep understanding of both partner expectations and vendor responsibilities. His ability to build and lead high-performance teams, combined with a high level of emotional intelligence, allows him to navigate complex strategic transformations and foster long-term, trust-based partner relationships.
For Grennan, the most rewarding aspect of his role is the opportunity to attract, develop, and inspire top talent. This challenge—especially amid the channel’s rapid growth over the past three years—has become a key driver of success. Empowering teams to thrive, in turn, enables partners to reach new heights.
According to Grennan, the Middle East presents channel partners with rich opportunities as the region accelerates its adoption of key technologies like SASE, SOC services, cloud, and OT security. Fortinet is well-positioned to support partners in each of these domains, offering comprehensive solutions and go-to-market guidance.
Looking ahead, Grennan sees a clear shift in customer demand driven by the ongoing cybersecurity skills gap. Organisations are turning to partners to manage security complexity through managed services and SASE offerings. For partners, the ability to embrace this shift and adapt their business models accordingly is crucial.
To lead in the regional market, Grennan advises partners to carve out niche specialisations, build lasting customer relationships, provide exceptional service, and stay aligned with the latest Fortinet innovations. These differentiators, combined with agility and customer focus, are key to standing out in an increasingly competitive landscape.
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